Care to Dance?
by InvisibleNinjaPirate
Summary: Who knew that a simple dance could bring them together, tear them apart, and ultimately, bring them back together again. D/G
1. Chapter 1

TJ hated these insipid school functions. As an administrator, her job was to ensure the academic growth of her students, intervene on their behalf when she thought it necessary, and gently guide them to their fullest potential. When she took the job that was her primary goal. She did not sign up for chaperoning frivolous school functions. An hour into the event, she was hot, uncomfortable, and her feet hurt from the ridiculous heels she had chosen to wear, a decision she was most regretting. The thought of tossing her heels aside and going barefoot crossed her mind but then she thought of how dirty the floor likely was and chose to keep the death traps on her feet. Three more hours.

Yep, here she was, on a Friday evening, in the only dress she owned, a sleeveless black, V-neck, cocktail length number, not overly revealing, but still leaving her feeling uncomfortably exposed as she tried to navigate the crowd of students, keeping one eye on them to ensure they were behaving appropriately, and one eye on the sullen former starship commander who had also been roped into this mess with her. Commander Goddard had chosen to stay in a far corner, arms crossed, and leaning against the wall, wearing his formal dress uniform and a sullen expression on his face. Part of her wanted to go over and drag his sorry ass out into the room to keep a better eye on the children, but another thought it best he stay exactly where he was- at least there he couldn't get into trouble or verbally get under her skin, as he was so often loathe to do.

At the very least, she supposed that she would need to make the most of the evening. By midnight, it would all be over and she could return to some sense of normalcy in the morning- a steaming cup of tea, and a stack of reports that she would have read tonight, but instead now was put off until a Saturday morning. Not the most exciting of plans, and frankly, the most boring part of her job, but someone needed to get it done, so she figured it might as well be her. It wasn't as though she had other plans anyway.

While perusing over the table of snacks, spotting a lovely assortment of chocolate strawberries, she heard a voice that caused her blood to boil. "Hello, TJ."

Davenport spun on her heels, taking a cleansing breath as she turned to face her ex-fiancé, William Daniels, an outstanding biophysics teacher, but horrendous human being, who she unfortunately had to work with on a daily basis. She had caught him in bed with another woman- Vicky from Admissions- and immediately broke off the engagement and after launching her ring from the nearest airlock, decided dating wasn't for her and became closed off, distant, and hyper focused on her work. Normally she was able to avoid William due to the volume of work that she tended to amass for herself. In a venue like this though, it was hard to run away from anyone. Better to plaster on a fake smile and plod through the niceties to get away from him more quickly. "William. To what do I owe the displeasure?" Her words were overly sweet but the ice could be felt within the tone.

"Nice to see you too, TJ," he retorted. He was giving her an appraising up and down glance, making her feel somewhat uncomfortable. "You look lovely tonight."

"Miss Davenport to you," she corrected harshly. "Where's Violet? Viola? Victory…?"

"Vicky," William corrected with a roll of his eyes. "She's over there," he pointed, indicating the chestnut haired woman with long curly tresses he had arrived with. She had also chosen black, but her fuller bosom was far more displayed, making TJ feel like a nun in comparison. "Just wanted to say hello. Compliment you on the dress. I don't remember ever seeing this on you."

"It's new," she deflected, hating the way he was eyeing her, especially with his new arm candy girlfriend barely twenty feet away. "Isn't Vicky going to miss you?"

"She's pretty open to me talking to other women. Certainly isn't a prim and jealous witch like other people I know. Not my fault she was there for me when you wouldn't be." He let a cold smirk cross his features.

TJ was somewhat stunned, but still managed to land her own blow. "Obviously my actions were justified. A relationship is built for two people. Clearly you don't know how to count."

"Miss Davenport, is this man bothering you?" A third voice joined them. TJ glanced over her shoulder to see one Commander Seth Goddard, an expression on his face that was positively murderous, suddenly standing at her side. She had no idea when he had left the corner, or how long he's been standing there, but was fairly certain that if William were to step even a centimeter closer, he would be snapped in two.

"We're just talking, _Commander_ ," William said snidely emphasizing the rank as a way to get under the man's skin. Pretty much everyone knew Goddard was sensitive about the demotion had landed him at the Starcademy in the first place.

To his credit, the Commander didn't looked fazed. "I wasn't talking to you, _Lieutenant_ ," Goddard answered back, letting him know that regardless, William was still outranked. Seth's hand was gently pressed on the small of her back, a protective gesture, as he stared down the man, making clear that any further advances on the Assistant Principal would not be tolerated.

"I am alright, Commander," TJ said softly, putting a hand lightly on his arm to keep him from tearing the biophysics teacher limb from limb. It wasn't that she didn't want to see it happen- and TJ was fairly certain Seth, given his skill set and history with the STARDOGS, was more than capable of making that a reality- it was that given the venue and timing, she didn't feel like cleaning up the blood stains or hiding the body.

One eye still shooting daggers at Daniels, Goddard held out a hand to TJ. "Care to dance?" he asked softly.

She shot Seth a grateful smile, thrilled for the rescue and nodded in affirmation. "That would be lovely." Taking hold of his proffered hand, she felt herself practically glide to the dance floor, skin tingling at the contact, while leaving the slack-jawed Lieutenant behind. This was an odd development, but strangely, not unwelcome.

It took a few minutes for them to find a rhythm with each other- "TJ, let me lead," she had been scolded lightly at first- but once she had given in, there was an effortless feel to the way they moved together.

"Thank you for the rescue, Commander," she told him.

He nodded, glaring in William's direction, shooting daggers to the gaping biophysics teacher as though warning him to stay away.

"What are you doing?" she asked by way of acknowledging his pointed look.

"Making sure he doesn't come near you again," he growled lightly.

"Look at me," she implored, resting her hand on his cheek to turn his face to her. She nearly gulped as his blue eyes met her hazel ones. _Dear heavens, he has lovely eyes_ , she thought. For the briefest second, she registered something flit across his features when he looked at her but it was gone before she could really get a good look. Taking a deep breath, she pushed her feelings on that matter aside and continued. "I guarantee that if you keep staring at him that way, he'll take it as a challenge and come barreling over here like some mindless ape. I imagine it won't end well."

"You think I can't take him?" He straightened his posture, puffing his chest a little as though trying to prove he was strong enough to take William on.

She lightly smacked his arm. "Stop preening like a peacock," she chided teasingly. Then she added, "I do believe you could 'take him' as it were. Heavens, I could take him. But then there will be blood stains and inevitably a body, and then the paperwork that follows that kind of mess and frankly, I'm in no mood to handle that tonight."

Seth laughed heartily as he spun her around, then pulled her back into his arms. "I would love to see you knock him out."

"I'm quite capable," she informed him matter-of-factly.

"I'm sure."

"Don't patronize me-"

"I'm not. I truly believe you are a force to be reckoned with. Daniels would do well not to underestimate you," he told her sincerely.

His declaration sent her cheeks into a deep blush, mumbling her thanks to him as he swung her around once more, then dipped her. "You are too kind, Commander."

"Seth."

"Pardon?"

"This is an informal event. And right now, it's just us. Call me Seth," he told her. "Is he still watching us?"

TJ looked over to where William had been. Not seeing him there, she quickly scanned the room, finding him on the other side of the dance floor with Vicky, the pair with their tongues down each other's throats. She pulled a face and shook her head. "I believe he and the arm candy are otherwise occupied." Her head indicated towards the pair, where Seth pulled a similar face.

"Ugh. There's kids around," he said with disgust. "Aren't there rules about that sort of thing, Miss Davenport?"

"Call me TJ. And you're asking about rules?" she pointed out.

"I have some standards," he protested.

TJ nodded. "Indeed."

The song ended then, causing Seth to step back. "Thank you, TJ," he said as he turned away.

"Seth?" she asked suddenly before she could stop herself. Turning back towards her, he was surprised to find her hand outstretched to him. "Care to dance?" she asked shyly.

A lopsided grin- a very cute one- came across his face as he accepted her hand and gave her a twirl, then wrapping one arm around her waist, while the other held her hand as they swayed.

"Can I lead this time?" she asked with her own crooked smile.

"Absolutely not."

They danced for the rest of the evening, each time they were interrupted by someone else looking to cut in, they both politely declined. Seth made her feel like she was the only person in the room. Every dip, every twirl, each time his arms found them themselves encircled about her waist (and hers simultaneously around his neck), TJ could feel her heart pounding in her chest, and it suddenly hit her just how handsome Goddard was. Especially in his dress uniform. ( _It should be criminal for any man to look that good,_ she found herself thinking). At one point, her hand was rested on his chest while the other rested about the nape of his neck, her head resting on his shoulder. His heart was thudding in a similar beat to hers, a realization she found somewhat exhilarating and made her unexplainably happy.

Davenport was aware that they looked cozy and intimate. However, for the first time she could remember she felt content. Complete. Happy. Goddard had given her the one thing William never had- the feeling she was beautiful, cherished, and respected.

When the evening was hours over, ( _heavens, it's over already?)_ , they reluctantly broke apart and gently guided the students towards the exit. "Need help?" he asked once the last child had left.

TJ glanced around the room, sighing at the mess left behind. "My," she noted. The rest of the staff who had chaperoned had also left, leaving behind the pair to assess the damage on their own. "The custodial staff will handle the big things but the decorations…"

Before she could finish, Seth was already gathering them up, depositing the garbage in the recycling chute near the corner he'd started the night in. "Come on, the two of us together will get this done a lot faster."

"I suppose many hands make light work," she conceded. It impressed her how he jumped in to assist her when everyone else simply left.

It took nearly a half hour, but once every blasted streamer and balloon was discarded, Seth offered to walk her back to her quarters, which she accepted.

"Thank you, Seth," she told him. "For saving me from William, for dancing with me, cleaning up- everything."

"It was nothing. It was actually fun." He nudged her as he said "fun," pulling a smile from TJ.

They walked in silence for a few moments before he spoke. "I have to ask. What the hell did you ever see in him?"

"I presume you mean William."

"Lieutenant Asshole, yes. It took all my self-control not to punch the guy tonight when he was looking at you like a piece of meat. That is not how someone treats a lady. Especially when he was there with someone else." Seth was enraged, hands balled in fists as he spat out the words.

"Commander Goddard, I didn't know you cared," she said coyly.

His jaw went slack. "I-"

"You're a true officer and a gentleman," she said quietly. "It's more appreciated than you know."

The gratitude on his face was all the thanks she needed. He was visibly more relaxed as they continued down the hallway.

"And further," she continued, "As much as I dislike Vicky, especially as she was quite involved in the dissolution of William's and my engagement, I've come to accept that there is no better revenge than letting her keep the bastard."

"So-"

"So, I've moved on, Seth. I appreciated the rescue tonight, and had a wonderful time with you. I'd like to focus on that rather than my past," TJ told him. She gave him a chaste kiss on the cheek and glided past, continuing to her quarters, stopping briefly to remove the offending heels from her feet. "I despise these things," she grumbled before moving on.

The complaint was enough to bring him out of the stupor her kiss brought on and he laughed. Before he could comment, he realized she had stopped in front of a doorway. "So um, this is my…"

"Right. You'll be at breakfast in the morning?" he asked hopefully.

"I suppose if I don't want to starve I will be," she teased.

Their eyes locked together, blue meeting hazel. TJ could hear a voice in her head chanting to invite him in. To take a chance. The longer they stared, the louder the voice got. Just as she was about to give in, he broke away. "I should go," he whispered sadly.

"Oh, right. Of course," she heard herself answer. There was a sadness to her voice she wasn't able to control. "Good night, Seth."

"Good night, TJ."

With disappointment in both their eyes, TJ entered her quarters and readied herself for bed.

At 0700, after her normal morning workout, and retrieving her first cup of tea, TJ found herself in her office, deciding to start a few reports before the mess hall opened at 0800. Based on how they had left things the previous evening, she was hoping Seth meant to eat with her this morning and she found herself absently fixing pieces of her hair. The idea of a meal with him warmed her heart, but would need to wait just a little longer. She was barely into her first report when she heard someone enter. Glancing up, she saw the headmistress settling herself into the chair in front of her desk. Startled, TJ glanced around, wondering if she had forgotten to do something, and after greeting her boss, inquired as such.

"No, Davenport. Just came to talk," the headmistress told her. There was an uncomfortable edge to her voice. "I heard you were quite the belle of the ball last night."

"Pardon?"

"Several sources tell me you and a certain former starship captain were rather cozy," she said snidely, as though she'd gotten her hands on a meaty piece of gossip and planned to use it against someone. Which she was.

"Interesting considering I was only dancing with someone. Other members of the staff had their tongues down each other's throats. Makes my simply dancing with Commander Goddard tame in comparison," TJ shot back hotly.

"Oh, but we're not talking about Mr. Daniels, whose escapades I have already heard about. We are talking about you," her boss said, ignoring the protest. "Miss Davenport, you are an administrator and as such, need to be held to a higher standard. Carrying on like you did last night is unprofessional and that behavior is unbecoming of someone in a leadership position. We can't have you fraternizing inappropriately, now can we?"

TJ was stunned into silence. Fraternizing inappropriately. She wasn't aware dancing with Seth would be seen that way. It was just supposed to be innocent fun. Looking back though, she realized that maybe it wasn't so innocent. They had flirted pretty openly. Their banter was easy, conversation light and constant, and neither of them had shied away from the light touches, or holding one another as they spun around the room. She didn't doubt that William had leveled some of those accusations, probably to save himself, but they didn't lessen the blow those charges brought. Those words cut into her.

Before she could protest, the headmistress continued. "Further, if that behavior were to continue, we might need to let you go. It is not the sort of action that we want to portray to children."

Davenport panicked and tried to think quickly of what she could say while attempting to maintain her composure. "That would be most unfortunate, Ma'am," she stated.

"Perhaps we can assign someone else to evaluate Goddard then? Seeing as you may no longer be able to stay objective?"

 _Absolutely not!_ TJ's inner voice screamed. Outwardly, she responded coolly, "My objectivity is certainly not compromised. We were two adults who shared a dance last night. Nothing more. His intent was to remove me from someone who attempted to make me uncomfortable, and for that, I would say he behaved as an officer and a gentleman should."

"Defending him then?" The headmistress was sneering at this point.

"Pointing out facts that seem to have been omitted from the account you received," TJ clarified icily. "I promise you, though, this lapse of judgment, as you perceive it will not happen again."

"See that it doesn't," Madame stated. "Would hate to lose such a promising administrator over her poor judgment."

Those parting words made TJ's blood run cold, as she watched the woman leave the office. Dropping her head into her hands, fighting back tears, she made a quick decision and called the Commander to her office. Breakfast would have to wait.

3 years, 5 months, 16 days later

"I believe you know what happened next," TJ said next, hanging her head sadly. She was emotionally drained from recounting the memory. She and Seth had been in her quarters on the Christa, having another one of their late night conversations when the topic had come up.

"The fight," Seth said wearily. He scrubbed his hands down his face, long since having hoped to forget that morning. He had wondered what caused TJ to abruptly retreat back behind the virtual fortress she locked her emotions in. Worse, he had leveled charges of her being unfeeling, cold, toying with his emotions, even saying that her father was wrong in thinking she was as warm and gentle as him. To know it was the headmistress threatening her- it made his heart ache for her and fired up his temper.

"The fight. I had to choose between two undesirable outcomes. There was no winning either way. Lose my job and never see you again, or continue with being your evaluator so that I would still see you, but pretend that night never happened. I chose the latter. And have hated myself since. Pretending every day that I don't care when in reality, I cared more than you knew…" she trailed off, tears spilling down her cheeks.

Seth gathered her into his arms, rubbing circles along her back as she sobbed. His mind wandered, remembering bits of their fight, and feeling remorse for all he had said. "The things I said to you…. I was out of line. And you stood there and took it. Right down to using your father's words against you. I'm an idiot. I'm sorry."

"It's all right, Seth," she told him. "I rather think things worked out. Even though we didn't speak for a week, we did eventually get past it, at least enough to be civil. We even had a few private moments away from prying eyes that I daresay were… nice." Her face flushed a deep red as she admitted that. "Perhaps it is fate we're here now."

"I didn't think you believed in fate," he pointed out.

"Generally, no. But consider this. The headmistress clearly did not want us together. I foolishly pushed you away as a knee jerk reaction to that. Yet, the universe still put us in a position where we ended up together anyway, even if it meant we were to be flung to the far reaches of the galaxy. So is it fate or some other force at work?" she questioned.

He considered her words before standing up and offered a hand to her. With a soft smile, he asked, "Care to dance?"

Accepting his hand, he pulled her up to her feet and gave her a small twirl, pulling her close to his body to sway with her. "Let me lead, TJ," he whispered when he felt her trying to take control again.

Her body visibly softened, giving in to how she felt pressed against him. "What are you doing, Seth?" she asked softly.

"Do over," he said. "Except this time, I intend to let us play out where this may lead. No miserable former bosses or exes to step in and keep us from what we want."

"And if at the end of this, I want you to stay with me tonight?" she asked, looking straight into his eyes again, and immediately seeing a dark desire within them, one that she was quite sure was mirrored in her own.

"I will follow whatever you want," he told her, both arms around her waist now, drawing her body flush to him, as his forehead dropped to touch hers.

"Such a gentleman," she whispered sensually just before closing the small distance between them to kiss him deeply, more than thrilled when he responded immediately.

Later that night, as they were curled in bed around each other, having finally physically expressed what they had wanted for far too long, TJ silently thanked the fates for bringing her to Seth. The sort of bond they had just forged together was unlike anything she had ever felt with anyone else before. Now that she knew what it felt like, she had no plans to let that feeling go anytime soon. As she lazily played with the gray around his temples, tracing tiny circles as she contemplated their changed status, he stared at her curiously, asking how she felt and if she was all right. Always concerned about my wellbeing, she realized. She answered with the first thing that came into her mind. "Care to dance again?"

The grin and ensuing husky laugh was all she remembered hearing before he soundly kissed her, continuing what she sincerely hoped would be the beginning of many nights to come.


	2. Chapter 2

"Come on, Miss Davenport, it's enough that I have them all day in class. Now you expect me to babysit them all night at a ridiculous function?" Seth Goddard had been dropping his lesson plans to her, as was requisite each week when the news that he was required to chaperone a ludicrous dance was sprung. Not the way he envisioned spending his Friday night. It only made him long even more for this stupid assignment to be over so he could get back out in space where he belonged.

"Yes, I do," Davenport said stubbornly. She slightly softened as she admitted, "You won't be alone in your suffering. I got voluntold for this too."

"Oh joy. We get to suffer together." He rolled his eyes sarcastically, obviously less than pleased.

"At least you can wear your dress uniform. I have to wear an actual dress. And heels. I despise heels. Stupid deathtraps."

Seth stifled a chuckle behind a cough as he saw her grumbling about her personal dress code, finding she was sort of adorable as she did that. Made her seem more approachable and kind. "Would you rather I wear the dress and heels?" he quipped.

Her expression looked scandalized. "Commander Goddard that would be wholly inappro-"

He cut her off. "Relax. It was a joke. I'll gladly let you keep the death traps to yourself."

"Good. I fully expect to see you at 1945 hours Friday night. Our job is to mind the children, keep them out of trouble," she warned. "Not start the trouble."

A warning glare from her wiped the crooked smile from his face, but only because he recognized that glare. He knew it well. That was unmistakably her father's face, and a look he had received innumerable times as a cadet. Sometimes there was a tiny, almost unnoticeable smile hiding in the corners, but if it had been there, it was already gone from her face. Sobered by the glare, he mumbled a "Yes, ma'am," and shuffled from the room.

Which was how he ended up in the corner of the room on a Friday night. He'd had a trying day and was already in a foul mood when he arrived at 1944 hours- "One minute early," he had needled Miss Davenport- and after getting instructions on what he was supposed to do, promptly disregarded them, and disappeared into the far corner. Crossing his arms across his chest and leaning against the wall, he wore what he was sure would be- rightly- interpreted as a sullen expression. The location gave him an excellent vantage point of the room though, allowing him to see the entire space and to catch anyone doing something inappropriate without realizing how exactly they'd been caught.

He remained immoveable the first hour, save scolding Mr. Band for throwing fruit chunks at Mr. Radu when he wasn't looking, with the warning that is he did it again he would be suffering a fate worse than detention.

Occasionally he would glance at Miss Davenport, noting how at ease she seemed. From his vantage point, he could see her lightly chatting with colleagues, scolding students who became unruly, and every so often, sneaking a bit of food here and there to nosh on- a cookie, some vegetable crudité, chocolate strawberries- the last she seemed to have a special affinity for, as she had easily eaten four while he'd been watching. She would close her eyes and smile slightly after each bite, looking as though it was the most delicious morsel of food she'd ever tasted.

More interesting was despite how at ease she was with handling the children, she seemed wholly uncomfortable in what she was wearing. As a woman who was buttoned up nearly all the time, the dress she wore certainly showed off far more of her body than she was accustomed. Not that the dress was distasteful- to the contrary, her black, knee-length dress, with a v-neckline was rather conservative compared to what some others had chosen to wear. She looked classy, elegant, and lovely. Part of mind screamed she looked beautiful, but the more rational part of him beat that thought back very quickly.

Hour two started off uneventfully, until Lieutenant William Daniels lazily strode in with Vicky draped over his arm. Seth had heard the stories about the biophysics teacher and admissions counselor, who were quite public with their relationship. He'd also heard about TJ's personal history with the man, which, upon his initially learning about how he'd cheated on Miss Davenport, then tried to act as though it was her fault and not his, caused his blood to boil. Goddard would admit to being a flirt and he'd been in a handful of relationships, but the one thing he had never done (nor ever would do), was cheat on someone. It completely violated his personal code of honor. He never understood how TJ could stand to have to face him after what he'd done (and apparently, she had a feisty side he'd missed seeing as she'd launched the engagement ring from the airlock and dared William to go get it), but she claimed to avoid him where she could and not engage with him.

Tonight, she was distracted by ensuring the students were behaving and guessing by how relaxed she currently seemed, probably wasn't aware he'd arrived- and late. Seth rolled his eyes- of course Mr. Biophysics would arrive late and Miss Vicky would have her rather ample bosom on display in the tight black dress she'd selected. He made a face. _Daniels was an idiot. Man had a diamond in TJ and he dropped her and picked up a rock. Wait, where the hell did that come from?_ His mind was at war yet again and he tried to settle those thoughts yet again. Closing his eyes, Seth took deep cleansing breaths to settle himself, then opened his eyes to find a scene he really hoped not to have seen.

He could see William had approached Miss Davenport, and judging solely by the look on her face, she was not happy. He saw her trying to find a way to escape, but having no luck. Worse, he saw the way the man was leering at her as he checked her out, the look on the man's face making Goddard uncomfortable. It made him angry. For a moment he wondered how James Davenport would feel about the man having invaded her personal space like that before he made the decision to halt anything further.

Before his brain could stop his feet, he arrived beside TJ, just in time to hear her throw an insult at her ex, but with a dangerous smile on her face, a warning to the man. "Obviously my actions were justified. A relationship is built for two people. Clearly you don't know how to count."

 _Got here just in time_ , he thought to himself. May as well make my presence known before this gets out of hand. "Miss Davenport, is this man bothering you?" Seth saw TJ glance over her shoulder at him, but he was glaring at William, his face displacing an expression that he hoped would convey his fury and silently tell him to back the fuck off. He had no idea why he suddenly felt so protective of her, especially when he was certain she could probably handle herself. All he knew was that the man better step off or Goddard would personally see that the biophysics teacher be snapped in two- hundred- pieces.

"We're just talking, _Commander_ ," William said snidely emphasizing the rank as a way to get under the Seth's skin. Pretty much everyone knew Goddard was sensitive about the demotion had landed him at the Starcademy in the first place. The Commander, for once didn't let it get to him. Especially when he knew he still outranked the man. Idiot.

"I wasn't talking to you, _Lieutenant_ ," Goddard answered back warningly, emphasizing the rank even more harshly, letting him know that regardless, William was still outranked. Seth's hand was gently pressed on the small of TJ's back, a protective gesture, as he stared down the man, making clear that any further advances on the Assistant Principal would not be tolerated.

"I am alright, Commander," TJ said softly, putting a hand lightly on his arm to keep him from tearing the biophysics teacher limb from limb. One eye glanced over to her, trying to read the expression on her face if she was truly "alright." His arm had tingles running through him from where her hand was resting. Thinking quickly about that sudden pleasing feeling and how to get her away from her ex, Goddard formulated a plan.

His other eye still shooting daggers at Daniels, Seth held out a hand to TJ. "Care to dance?" he asked softly.

Seth saw the grateful smile she gave him, clearly thrilled for the rescue and nodded in affirmation. His heart fluttered at her acceptance. "That would be lovely," he heard her say. Taking hold of his proffered hand, Seth felt them practically glide to the dance floor, his skin pulsing with electricity at the contact, while leaving the slack-jawed Lieutenant behind. _Serves him right_ , Seth thought. _Now to show him the right way to treat a lady._

It took a few minutes for them to find a rhythm with each other. As with all other aspects of her life, Seth noted Miss Davenport tried to control the dance as well. "TJ, let me lead," he teased lightly. Her face reddened at the realization and after a moment, he felt her give in and allowed him to lead her. The way they moved together felt effortless- he couldn't remember a time when sharing a dance had been so natural, but he wasn't about to complain.

"Thank you for the rescue, Commander," she told him softly after they had settled into each other.

He nodded absently, then glared in William's direction, shooting daggers to the gaping biophysics teacher as though warning him to stay away. Seth had caught the man about to approach and he wasn't about to let that happen. _Just try it_ , his eyes dared the man.

"What are you doing?" she asked, noticing the death glare he was directing at Daniels. He had to give Davenport credit where it was due. Much like her father, very little escaped her notice. Experience told him it was far easier just to be honest.

"Making sure he doesn't come near you again," he growled lightly.

The feel of TJ's hand on his cheek momentarily distracted him from visually threatening the bastard. "Look at me," she implored, turning his face to look directly at him. Her voice was softer than he ever remembered her using and for a moment, wondered if this was even the same woman that continually challenged him a daily basis. Seth's heart leapt into his throat as his blue eyes met her hazel ones, her eyes widening as he felt his heart pounding uncontrollably in his chest. Not sure whether it was the lights, her being out of uniform, or her sudden softening with him, Seth suddenly saw TJ in a completely different way and his mind was racing. _Holy shit, she's gorgeous_ , he thought. _How have I not realized that before?_ Just as quickly, he chastised himself for having those thoughts. _Seth, stop that- that's James Davenport's daughter! He'll kill me!,_ he rationalized internally, only just registering when she began speaking again. "I guarantee that if you keep staring at him that way, he'll take it as a challenge and come barreling over here like some mindless ape. I imagine it won't end well."

"You think I can't take him?" He straightened his posture, puffing his chest a little as though trying to prove he was strong enough to take William on. _I can show her just how well I'd defend her!_

Seth felt her lightly smack his arm. "Stop preening like a peacock," Davenport chided teasingly. More quietly she added, "I do believe you could 'take him' as it were. Heavens, I could take him. But then there will be blood stains and inevitably a body, and then the paperwork that follows that kind of mess and frankly, I'm in no mood to handle that tonight."

Seth laughed heartily as he spun her around, then pulled her back into his arms. Of course she would consider those things! Even as she nearly condoned that sort of behavior, she would consider the protocol on cleaning it up. Freaking adorable. "I would love to see you knock him out."

"I'm quite capable," she informed him matter-of-factly.

"I'm sure."

"Don't patronize me-"

"I'm not. I truly believe you are a force to be reckoned with. Daniels would do well not to underestimate you," he told her sincerely. And he did truly believe that. She was far stronger than people gave her credit for.

His declaration sent her cheeks into a deep blush, mumbling her thanks to him as he swung her around once more, then dipped her. The surprised smile on her face and she held onto his arms made it worth it. "You are too kind, Commander."

"Seth." Suddenly, it seemed very important that she call him that.

"Pardon?"

"This is an informal event. And right now, it's just us. Call me Seth," he told her. "Is he still watching us?"

Seth watched her look over to where William had been. Not seeing him by the food, she quickly scanned the room, finding him on the other side of the dance floor with Vicky, the pair with their tongues down each other's throats. Seth watched her pull a face and shook her head. "I believe he and the arm candy are otherwise occupied." Her head indicated towards the pair, where Seth pulled a similar face.

"Ugh. There's kids around," he said with disgust. "Aren't there rules about that sort of thing, Miss Davenport?" There had to be rules about that sort of thing. As a captain, he would have certainly addressed an obvious breach of fraternization protocols as what those two were doing.

"Call me TJ. And you're asking about rules?" she pointed out. Fair enough. Not following rules had gotten him reassigned. It also led to his being able to share this dance. With TJ.

"I have some standards," he protested, regarding her ex and Vicky.

TJ nodded. "Indeed."

The song ended then, causing Seth to step back. Part of him wanted to continue dancing but he didn't want to push too hard. "Thank you, TJ," he said as he turned away.

"Seth?"

Turning back towards her, he was surprised to find her hand outstretched to him. She looked slightly nervous, her heel clad feet crossed at the ankles, making her appear somewhat vulnerable. "Care to dance?" she asked shyly.

A lopsided grin- the one he had used to charm many a woman before- spread across his face as he accepted her hand and gave her a twirl, then wrapped one arm around her waist, while the other held her hand as they swayed.

"Can I lead this time?" she asked with her own crooked smile. Very cute. He liked a challenge, but would not allow that.

"Absolutely not."

They danced for the rest of the evening, each time they were interrupted by someone else looking to cut in, they both politely declined. Seth could not remember the last time he had enjoyed someone's company as much. Every dip, every twirl, each time his arms found them themselves encircled about her waist (and hers simultaneously around his neck), Seth noted the pounding of his heart, and the sound of blood rushing through his ears. It suddenly dawned on him that Theresa James Davenport was not only brilliant and stubborn, but beautiful as well. As much as her father, a man for whom he had a tremendous respect, would likely kill him for even thinking his daughter stunning, it didn't change the fact be felt that way. At one point, her hand was rested on his chest while the other rested about the nape of his neck, her head resting on his shoulder. His heart was thudding in a similar time to hers, a realization he found somewhat unnerving but not unpleasant. It felt right.

Goddard was aware that they must have looked cozy and intimate to the others in the room. Part of him was glad that everyone else eventually let them alone because he no intention of letting anyone else touch her ( _and why did he feel so protective of her all of a sudden_ \- that question had looped in his brain constantly tonight). The other part of him was grateful to her. Although he was the one who initially invited her to dance, it was she who wanted to stay, marking the first time since before his hearing and demotion that anyone gave him a chance. It made him feel respected, worthy, and wanted.

When the evening was over, ( _where did the last three hours go?_ ), they reluctantly broke apart and gently guided the students towards the exit. Seth found he didn't want to leave right away, looking for an excuse to stay with her a little longer. "Need help?" he asked once the last child had left.

TJ glanced around the room, sighing at the mess left behind. "My," she noted. The rest of the staff who had chaperoned had also left, leaving behind the pair to assess the damage on their own. "The custodial staff will handle the big things but the decorations…"

Seth was already gathering decorations, depositing the garbage in the recycling chute near the corner he'd started the night in. "Come on, the two of us together will get this done a lot faster." _It'll let us spend a few minutes alone away from prying eyes too._

"I suppose many hands make light work," she conceded. Her face registered surprise and gratitude for the help.

It took nearly a half hour, but once every blasted streamer and balloon was discarded, Seth was faced with her walking away again, so he took a chance on spending just a few minutes more with her. "Walk you back to your quarters?" he offered.

TJ nodded to accept the offer and they left together.

"Thank you, Seth," she told him as they walked. "For saving me from William, for dancing with me, cleaning up- everything."

"It was nothing. It was actually fun." He nudged her as he said "fun," pulling a smile from TJ. He wished she would smile more.

They walked in silence for a few moments. Something was eating at him about the evening, as he mentally tried to process all that had led to him being the equivalent of a nervous teenage boy walking his crush home. He tried to gather his thoughts before he spoke, but it came out sharper than he intended. "I have to ask. What the hell did you ever see in him?" Seth inwardly cringed as he noted the tone, but TJ, if she noticed, chose not to address it.

"I presume you mean William."

"Lieutenant Asshole, yes. It took all my self-control not to punch the guy tonight when he was looking at you like a piece of meat. That is not how someone treats a lady. Especially when he was there with someone else." Seth was enraged, hands balled in fists as he spat out the words. _Control yourself, Seth,_ he warned himself.

"Commander Goddard, I didn't know you cared," she said coyly.

His jaw went slack. _What?!_ "I-"

"You're a true officer and a gentleman," she said quietly. "It's more appreciated than you know."

That was not what he expected. Seth was sure his face conveyed his thanks as she smiled. He visibly relaxed as they continued down the hallway.

"And further," she continued, "As much as I dislike Vicky, especially as she was quite involved in the dissolution of William's and my engagement, I've come to accept that there is no better revenge than letting her keep the bastard."

He held back a chuckle. It sounded like she had moved past it but he had to be sure. "So-"

"So, I've moved on, Seth. I appreciated the rescue tonight, and had a wonderful time with you. I'd like to focus on that rather than my past," TJ told him. Before he understood what was happening, she leaned up and planted a chaste kiss on his cheek, then glided past, continuing to her quarters, stopping briefly to remove the offending heels from her feet. "I despise these things," she grumbled before moving on.

The complaint was enough to bring him out of the state of shock her kiss brought on and he laughed. It certainly left him speechless for a moment. Before he could comment, he realized she had stopped in front of a doorway. "So um, this is my…"

 _Damnit! Already?_ "Right. You'll be at breakfast in the morning?" he asked hopefully. He didn't want to leave her yet, but Seth did not want to presume anything either. TJ was classy. She deserved to set her own boundaries, which he wanted to respect.

"I suppose if I don't want to starve I will be," she teased.

Their eyes locked together, blue meeting hazel. _Please let me stay, please let me stay._ He warred with his emotions for a few minutes, aware of the intensity of her gaze at him _. I want to stay… I want to kiss her… James… Damnit!_ Reluctantly, he chose to break away the more rational side of his brain winning out over his heart. "I should go," he whispered sadly.

"Oh, right. Of course," he heard her answer. There was a sadness to her voice she wasn't able to control. "Good night, Seth."

"Good night, TJ."

With disappointment in both their eyes, Seth watched her slip quietly inside as he trudged back to his quarters alone.

Over the years Seth had become a morning person out of necessity. Up early, often surviving on only a few hours of sleep and a lot of coffee, and usually trying to juggle multiple issues at once. His assignment to the Starcademy kept him on a similar schedule, but unlike being in deep space, he occasionally was able to sleep in. Saturdays would often be one of those days. So, it surprised him when he awoke early that morning, alert and eager to head to breakfast. He had asked TJ about whether he'd see her there, and one thing she did like clockwork was always arrive as soon as the doors to the mess hall opened. His plan was to meet her there, invite her to eat with him- and past that he hadn't figured out the rest of the plan. It was something he would work on as he went along. You can't plan every date to the last detail, he reminded himself. Where's the spontaneity in that?

At 0730, just as he finished ensuring his hair was cleaned up to regulation standard and that nothing was stuck in his teeth, he heard TJ's voice chirp into his room, asking him to meet in her office, and to bring his plans for the following week. There was an odd tone in her voice that concerned him. Affirming he would be there in a minute, he grabbed his Compupad, and headed straight to the administration wing.

"Commander, come in," she greeted him once he made his presence known.

Seth was slightly taken aback by the cool formality in her voice, lacking all trace of the softness from the night before. "Hey, TJ," he greeted cautiously. "Are you okay?"

"Perfectly fine," she said, words clipped and final. He noted a brief flicker in her eyes that showed something else, but couldn't identify exactly what.

"Lesson plans?"

"It's Saturday morning. I usually work on them during the day and we go over them on-"

"Commander, you really need to take this position more seriously. How can you come here without what was asked for-?"

"Because, TJ, in two years here you've never asked for them on a Saturday morning. And you know damned well I couldn't work on them last night because someone in this office voluntold me to chaperone a certain school function. Or have you forgotten that?" He was starting to feel himself get heated and took several deep breaths to calm himself. What the hell happened to the woman from last night?

TJ looked defeated for a moment, realizing he had a point. "Fair enough, Commander."

"Seth."

"No. Unlike last night, this is a more formal setting, Commander, and I would expect you to understand that."

"Come on, TJ-"

"Miss Davenport."

"What the hell?" he roared.

"Commander-"

"Why are you doing this? I thought we were past this-"

"I want your plans on my desk-"

"Did I do something wrong? I thought we had gotten past this last night! Now you're cold, unfeeling-"

He saw her eyes widen, meeting the challenge he was throwing down. Fire flared in her irises. _Good,_ he thought _. I'm getting somewhere_. "Commander, you take that back!" she shouted.

"No! You were a completely different person last night! Now, you've retreated behind some kind of emotional… fortress! How is anyone supposed to get close to you if you keep locking yourself away?" He raked a hand furiously through his hair. "What gives?"

Her face looked there was a war of emotions playing out. Seth sincerely hoped TJ would open up and tell him why she was acting this way. _Come on, TJ, tell me what's wrong,_ he thought, trying to convey with his expression what was going through his mind. Their eyes met for a brief second, giving him hope they could quickly move past whatever was going on. It wasn't to be. She seemed to shake her head and reset her behavior to rigid and icy. "Commander, I can't-"

"Can't or won't?"

"I will not tolerate this behavior-"

"So won't."

"Do not put words in my mouth!" Her voice raised again.

He was furious now. Without thinking, he banged his fist on her desk as words began tumbling unfiltered from his mouth. "You know, your father always tells me to give you a chance. That you're more like him than you realize. That you have a warm and gentle side. I saw it last night and you know what? I liked what I saw! But now… if this is how you treat people who care about you, by pushing them away, then it's no shock you're still single. And it'll stay that way because no one wants to spend time with an ice queen!" He was aware he may have crossed a line, but he was so livid he wasn't even thinking straight anymore.

Davenport stood up from her chair to face him eye to eye, but had no words. There was a look of hurt on her face, as though his words had cut deep. _Good_ , he thought angrily. _Now she knows how I feel_. The only thing she could manage to get out was, "I expect your plans on my desk by 1600 hours. Dismissed."

He turned to leave, but before he left added, "You know, I said last night people would do well not to underestimate you. I was right. I never truly grasped how frigid you could be until now. My mistake. I'll be sure not to make it again." He swiped his hand over the access crystal to the door and left, allowing the doors to close behind him. Had he waited even five seconds longer, he'd have heard the sob that escaped the woman inside.

At 1600 hours on the dot, Seth silently entered Miss Davenport's office, placed his Compupad on her desk and left, not greeting her or making eye contact. If he had, he would have seen the streaks from where countless tears had run down her face that day and the heartbreak in her eyes.

3 years, 5 months, 16 days later

Seth was in a state of shock as TJ recounted the memory of how the headmistress had warned her away from him, which led to their fight. "I believe you know what happened next," TJ said, hanging her head sadly. He could see how emotionally drained she was from recounting the memory. They had been in her quarters on the Christa, having another one of their late night conversations when the topic had come up. They had recently begun testing the waters of a relationship, and this revelation threw him for a loop. His heart broke all over again.

"The fight," Seth said wearily. He scrubbed his hands down his face, long since having hoped to forget that morning. He had wondered what caused TJ to abruptly retreat back behind the virtual fortress she locked her emotions in. Worse, he had leveled charges of her being unfeeling, cold, toying with his emotions, even saying that her father was wrong in thinking she was as warm and gentle as him. To know it was the headmistress threatening her- it made his heart ache for her and fired up his temper. Worse, had that- woman- not interfered, they might have been together years ago. His blood boiled.

"The fight. I had to choose between two undesirable outcomes. There was no winning either way. Lose my job and never see you again, or continue with being your evaluator so that I would still see you, but pretend that night never happened. I chose the latter. And have hated myself since. Pretending every day that I don't care when in reality, I cared more than you knew…" she trailed off, tears spilling down her cheeks.

Seth gathered her into his arms, rubbing circles along her back as she sobbed. His mind wandered, remembering bits of their fight, and feeling remorse for all he had said. "The things I said to you…. I was out of line. And you stood there and took it. Right down to using your father's words against you. I'm an idiot. I'm sorry." _God, I'm an ass_ , his mind screamed.

"It's all right, Seth," she tried to reassure him. "I rather think things worked out. Even though we didn't speak for a week, we did eventually get past it, at least enough to be civil. We even had a few private moments away from prying eyes that I daresay were… nice." He watched her face flush a deep red as she admitted that. It was adorable. And it was true. Once they started speaking again, things were strained for a while, but after some time, there were small private moments that they were able to connect again, even if it was brief. Looking back, he enjoyed their talks, problem solving sessions, and challenges. They were "nice." And it was them. "Perhaps it is fate we're here now."

"I didn't think you believed in fate," he pointed out. Honestly, he usually didn't either.

"Generally, no. But consider this. The headmistress clearly did not want us together. I foolishly pushed you away as a knee jerk reaction to that. Yet, the universe still put us in a position where we ended up together anyway, even if it meant we were to be flung to the far reaches of the galaxy. So is it fate or some other force at work?" she questioned.

He considered her words before standing up and offering a hand to her. Maybe it was fate to be there, but he planned to take destiny into his own hands for what he did next. With a soft smile, he asked, "Care to dance?"

TJ accepted Seth's hand as he pulled her up to her feet, giving her a small twirl and pulling her close to his body to sway with her. "Let me lead, TJ," Seth whispered when he felt her trying to take control again. He grinned, realizing some things would never change.

Seth noted how her body visibly softened, molding against his body comfortably. He smiled, noting the way they seemed to fit together. "What are you doing, Seth?" she asked softly.

"Do over," he said. "Except this time, I intend to let us play out where this may lead. No miserable former bosses or exes to step in and keep us from what we want." _And I want to show you exactly what you mean to me._

"And if at the end of this, I want you to stay with me tonight?" TJ asked. She looked straight into his eyes again, and Seth was sure she could see a dark desire within them, as the same was conveyed in hers.

"I will follow whatever you want," he told her, both arms around her waist now, drawing her body flush to him, as his forehead dropped to touch hers. _Let her make the decision,_ he told himself. _But please, let me stay._

"Such a gentleman," she whispered sensually just before closing the small distance between them to kiss him deeply. He responded immediately. The fates were giving them a second chances, as was space, and he planned not to squander it.

Later that night, as they were curled in bed around each other, having finally physically expressed what they had wanted for far too long, Seth silently thanked space (and the fates), for the second chance with her. The sort of bond they had just forged together was unlike anything he had ever felt with anyone else before. It felt completely natural to be with her and the regret for not fighting for this sooner tried setting in. Now that he knew what it felt like, he would fight till his dying breath to protect what they had.

She started lazily playing with the gray around his temples, tracing tiny circles and staring in wonder at him. His skin tingled at the contact, noting that the feeling would likely never get old. Seth stared at her curiously, asking, "How do you feel? Are you alright?" His hand brushed along her cheek softly as he asked, desperately wanting her to know that he cared.

She answered with a cheeky smile on her face. "Care to dance again?"

The crooked grin and ensuing husky laugh escaped him before soundly kissing her, with his silent vow that he would never let her go again.


End file.
